SYDNEY, November 24, 2008 – The Federation of Vietnamese Catholic Mass Media (FVCMM) would like to report to the international community about the latest development in the on-going series of religious and human rights violations against Catholics by Vietnam government.

On Nov. 22, Hanoi Redemptorist Monastery reported that eight parishioners under Redemptorists’ pastoral care at Thai Ha parish would be tried on Dec. 5 at a criminal court in Hanoi, and that Vietnam government threatened to punish them severely for what it described as “damaging state property and disorderly conduct in public.”

However, in fact, the said eight parishioners who were being wrongfully charged did not do anything violating the law.

Since 1996, Redemptorists and Thai Ha parishioners had sent their petitions pleading for the restitution of the land seized illegally in 1950s. All their petitions had fallen into deaf ears. The public protests began in January, after Thai Ha parishioners discovered that local government officials had secretly sold their land to other private owners.

At first, the protests have taken place outside a surrounding brick wall, built decades ago, on which protesters had hung their icons and crosses, until August 14: the eve of the feast of our Lady of Assumption. After days of drenching rain, part of the wall collapsed on that day. Foreseeing that other parts would soon collapse as well in a domino fashion, possibly causing injury to those engaged in prayer vigils, parishioners removed several feet of the wall and moved their icons and statues to a more secure location.

Local government immediately accused parishioners of “damaging state property.” The state Valuer General's Office of Dong Da district claimed on state-own media that the monetary value of the wall was about 200 USD, and a dozen parishioners were arrested for their part in the demolition. At least four of these protestors have been jailed for weeks. At this time, two of them are still in jail.

Shortly after the incident that gave rise to the charges, the government bulldozed the wall and surrounding area, announcing that space would now be converted for use as a public park.

Why would the government throw the full force of prosecution behind an effort to punish ordinarily law-abiding citizens for such a comparatively minor matter?

The reason is obvious: It is the government intimidation tactic. They are determined to send a message of a severe punishment to Catholic parishioners to thousands of famers and civilians whose land also illegally seized by the government should they follow the Thai Ha footstep in demanding their property back.

We, Catholic priests who are in charge of various Catholic Media organs, therefore, strongly condemn that the Vietnam government after having robbed and jailed their victims, now is going to put them in a trial. This trial is unjust and shamefully violates human rights of the innocents and the victims.

In addition, we also want to report to you that recently Hanoi Redemptorist Monastery was attacked by a mob on Saturday night, November 15. Rather than trying to protect the monastery, police did their best to impede rescue efforts.

Hundreds of people, backed by the People's Committee of Quang Trung precinct, attacked the chapel. The violence began after representatives of the People's Committee had asked the Redemptorist priests for an urgent meeting at 10pm local time. The Redemptorist community was convinced that the meeting had been scheduled as a diversionary tactic to clear the way for the mob violence. Obviously, it was an organized attack at nighttime.

Summoned by priests who rang the monastery's bells, hundreds of local Catholics rushed to save the church. However, as the mob ransacked the chapel, police concentrated their efforts on keeping the Catholic rescuers away from the building.

This was the second time the St. Gerardo chapel had been attacked by thugs. On Sep. 21, the chapel was vandalized, with statues destroyed and books torn off shelves and thrown on the floor. The invaders “yelled, smashed everything on their way, threw stones into our monastery, and shattered the gate of Saint Gerardo Chapel,” reported Father Matthew Vu Khoi Phung, the Redemptorist superior. In addition, “the gang yelled out slogans threatening to kill priests, religious, faithful and even our archbishop,” he added.

As Church-state tensions have kept continuously building- up and Catholics have kept being persecuted for their faith, we desperately hope that you will take action immediately to demand Hanoi regime to respect human rights and religious freedom.

As for the up-coming trial, names of parishioners/defendants, their ages, and address are as follow:

1. Mr. Le Quang Kien, born 1945, of 8/162 A Ton Duc Thang St. Dong Da, Hanoi.
2. Mr. Nguyen Dac Hung, born 1958, of Thon Dam, Tan Hoa, Quoc Oai, Son Tay.
3. Mr. Thai Thanh Hai, born 1987, of 42 Nguyen Luong Bang St., O Cho Dua, Dong Da, Hanoi.
4. Mr. Nguyen Thi Viet, born 1949, of A2 Thuy Tinh, Thinh Quang, Dong Da, Hanoi.
5. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nhi, born 1962, of Ha Thao, Phu Xuyen.
6. Mr. Pham Tri Nang, born 1959, of Thuong Le, Dai Thinh, Me Linh, Vinh Phuc.
7. Mrs. Ngo Thi Dung, born 1954, of 306 C3 Vinh Ho, Nga Tu So, Dong Da, Hanoi.
8. Mrs. Le Thi Hoi, born 1947, of 8/6 Tho Quan, Dong Da, Hanoi.

The Federation of Vietnamese Catholic Mass Media (FVCMM) thus denounces these actions and asks that Vietnam government:

1. Stop the media campaign against the Catholic clergy, their faithful, and the Church as a whole.
2. Stop persecutions of Catholic clergy and their faithful and leave their religious items intact.
3. Respect its own law and return the property to its rightful owner.

Contact:
Fr. Paul Van Chi Chu
Tel: (02) 9773 0933
Mob: 0410 552 650

Mons. Peter Tai Van Nguyen
Director of Radio Veritas Asia
Buick St. North Fairview,
Quezon City, Philippines
P.O. Box 2642
Email: rvaprogram@rveritas-asia.org

Fr. John Nghi Tran
Director of VietCatholic News Agency
435 Berkeley Ave
Claremont, CA 91711, USA
Tel (909) 581-8888
Email: conggiao@gmail.com

Fr. Joachim Viet-Chau Nguyen Duc
Director of People Of God Magazine in America
PO Box 1419 Gretna,
LA 70053-5440, USA.
Email: danchuausa@yahoo.com

Fr. Anthony Quang Huu Nguyen
Director of People Of God Magazine in Australia
715 Sydney Rd. Brunswick Vic 3056
Australia
Email: quangsdb@yahoo.com

Fr. Stephen Luu Thuong Bui
Director of People Of God Magazine in Europe
Magazine Catholique
Katholische Monatszeitschrift
Monthly Catholic Magazine
Email: info@danchua.de

Fr. Paul Van-Chi Chu
Director of Gospel and Peace Radio, Sydney Australia
92 The River Rd - Revesby
NSW 2212
Australia
paulvanchi@yahoo.com